Our Shop & Staff

Quick Links:         Directions to the Shop             Store Hours

After quilting all night in their favorite quilt shop, mother Lois Weissberg and daughter Gretchen Quistgaard decided to take their love for quilting one step further...they were going to buy that shop and embark on a new and exciting quilting adventure as shop owners!  They moved the shop from its location in Auburn, IL to Lois' hometown of Rochester, IL on July 11, 1998. 

Now, twelve years later, the shop has grown tremendously in size and in inventory, from 750 bolts to now more than 7000 bolts!!  We have also added BERNINA SEWING MACHINES.  We are an authorized dealership and repair center for Bernina and love every minute of working with these machines. 

peace & Applique will celebrate its 13th year in Rochester, IL in July, 2011, with our Ninth Annual Charity Quilt Show.  More information will be coming...so keep checking.  Thank you so much for your support over the last almost 13 years.  We are so grateful to our loyal customers for your patronage and support over those wonderful years.

The heart and soul of peace & Applique is our staff.  These dedicated and hardworking people will do everything in their power to make your quilting experience the best it can be.  Let's introduce you to some of the folks...please stop in anytime so that we can meet you too!

Gretchen Quistgaard is one of the shop owners.  As a full time engineer and mother of five, Gretchen loves to spend her "free" time in the shop.  Gretchen has a wonderful eye for color, is extremely creative, and has a fantastic ability to teach and design quilts.

Lois Weissberg, Gretchen's mother and co-owner of the shop, provides the daily support for the operation of the shop and is in the heart of everything peace & Applique does.  Lois' creativity and enthusiasm make every project and class fun.  Quilting is the second love of her life, behind her husband, 4 daughter and son-in-laws, and her 13 grandchildren.  Lois frequently bakes fresh cookies or treats for classes and groups, so sign up now!

John Weissberg, Lois' husband, plays a huge roll by keeping the books, working quilt shows and special events.  When he is not working as a Construction Observer, you will find him overseeing the continuing remodeling of the building, preparing for shows and classes, or just helping out.  His help and support is invaluable, picking up the pieces of lots of different projects.

And the rest of our team...

Carlene Klickner - a greatly experienced sewer, quilter, and fabric artist who teached whatever you want to learn.  She is the one you will meet when you "Do Your Own Thing" and come to a class with a project you want to complete.

Cindy Marshall - a real expert on manipulating a sewing machine.  She teaches our beginning machine quilting class and others.

Cheryl Watkins - working three days a week, she is a cheerful, positive quilter who thoroughly enjoys helping customers.  A great aid for the weekend quilter.

Susan Richardson - a true handquilter and handpiecer.  She teaches our beginning hand quilting classes and is a wealth of knowledge.

Jill Daigh - she loves handwork and as a result, teaches "Work by Hand" and the 30's Club.  she also has been leading the group doing "Home Sweet Home" and undoubtedly will spearhead another one when she's finished with that one.  She and Gretchen choose the fabrics for many of the primitive kits.  Her greatest love is hand applique and quilting. 

Kay Etheredge - the contemporary component of our shop, she is a wonderful instructor who likes to do more challenging, machine pieced projects, such as an intricate paperpieced Pineapple Star which her students completed beautifully.  Her color choices run to the brighter, more complex fabrics and patterns.  She has brought a whole new dimension to the shop.

Sharon Waggoner - another wonderful addition to the shop with her contemporary tast in fabric.  She puts a unique tough to every project with an artistic sense.  Sharon is teaching new quilters the ins and outs of machine piecing, machine applique, and hand applique.

Sue Douglas - a retired teacher now selling Bernina machines and doing a wonderful job of teaching our Bernina Mastery classes.  She team teaches our Bernina Club and Embroidery Club with Stella Taft.

Stella Taft - another retired teacher, she is teaching kids classes and working with Sue Douglas on the Bernina Club and Embroidery Club.

Dawn Eck - is another one with great contemporary eyes.  She has a wonderful eye for color, and her positive attitude is great with customers.  She is the live-wire of the group!

While you are visiting us, don't forget to stop by Rochester's other great shops.  The old bank building acress the street houses a wonderful coin shop called "Dollars & Cents".  Down John Street toward Route 29 is "Petals & Company", a wonderful flower shop with a wide selection of fresh and silk flowers and gift items.  The Silo Center is home to Remarkable Resale (formerly Kid's Closet), which geatures clothing for all ages, along with home decore and furniture.  The Cedar Closet is also at the Silo Center and they have women's clothes on consignment.  Razzo's Italian Restaurant is on John Street and is open from 4 pm to 10 pm and prepares delicious food.  We are proud of Rochester and hope you will visit soon.

Directions to the Shop

From Springfield: Take South Grand Avenue east.  It becomes Route 29.  Travel four miles southeast to Rochester.  Turn left at the Silo just after the second stoplight and go one block north.  We are on the Northwest corner.

From North or South I-55:  Take I-55 to exit 96A (Taylorville) by Springfield.  Travel four miles southeast to Rochester.  Turn left at the Silo just after the second stop light and go one block north.  We are on the Northwest corner.

Store Hours

Our store is open the following hours.  If severe weather is in the area, please call first to find out if we are open...

Monday to Friday 10 to 5

Thursday    10 to 7

Saturday    10 to 4

Please stop by to see us soon!